This invention relates to improvements in embossed gaskets.
Embossed gaskets are widely used for a variety of purposes. The embossments, selected zones embossed out of the main plane of the gaskets, are intended to provide a relatively higher unit sealing stress in a localized zone, such as in an annular pattern around an opening to be sealed, than would a flat unembossed gasket itself.
Unsupported embossments tend to flatten. Further, unsupported embossments also tend to have limited recovery characteristics. As such, the prior art, such as Jacobs U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,323, has suggested the filling of embossments, such as with a sealant, to support embossments. However, the filling of embossments, as by silk-screening or otherwise is an expensive procedure and has other limitations associated with it.
It would therefore be desirable to inexpensively produce an embossed gasket with high unit sealing stress in the zone of the embossment under compression and with relatively high recovery.